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PWR Heat Check: Who's Hot, Who's Not Entering PWR Live

We're at t-minus two days until the Philippine Wrestling Revolution returns to action, and we couldn't be more hyped. Not only do we have a PWR Championship Match as our main event, we'll be seeing the opening round of an eight-man tournament to crown the first ever PHX Champion.

You can get an overview of the entire card here, or our ultra-comprehensive primer for PWR first-timers here.

Heading into the event, it's useful to take a look at the win-loss records of each wrestler over the past year to see who's got momentum in their corner, and who seems to be running on fumes.

At last May's Wrevolution X, we saw two undefeated streaks screech to a halt: Mayhem Brannigan's, when he passed out to "Classical" Bryan Leo's vicious submission arsenal, and Bombay Suarez's, after falling short against Jake De Leon in the finals of the PWR Championship tournament.

Let's focus first on those wrestlers who are heading into weekend's event on a positive note.

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What we have, ladies and gentlemen, is a situation where the probinsyano sensation Mark D. Manalo and his Beer Promdi partner Kanto Terror are two of the hottest wrestlers in PWR right now, as they ride a two-match winning streak into PWR Live, along with the Apocalypse.

Don't overlook Beer Promdi, guys. Granted, both their wins came in tag team matches. But in both contests, they demonstrated a rare fire we haven't seen often in PWR. After losing their team debut in a handicap match against the hulking Main Maxx, they've bounced back in a big way. Not only did Manalo get the high-flying Peter Versoza to tap out to his Manalo Lock II at Vendetta, Beer Promdi made history as they outlasted both the hard-hitting Fighters 4 Hire and the dynamic Dual Shock in the first ever three-way elimination tag match in Philippine wrestling at Wrevolution X. #PUSO may as well be their signature hashtag, because these two dudes just don't quit.

MDM says "NEVER GIVE UP!"

But let's not forget about the Apocalypse either. Just three months ago, he emerged victorious from a wild and bloody no-holds-barred match against the 280-pound Perfect 10 of the Royal Flush, Main Maxx. This was also preceded by a dominant tag win with Mayhem Brannigan against the Royal Flush at Vendetta. The man is a beast in the ring, seemingly impervious to pain, with his trademark soaring suicide dive to the outside and his crushing Death Bell finisher listed among the most feared moves on the local scene.

Apocalypse gives Main Maxx a seat.

But you know what? Neither the Apocalypse nor Kanto Terror have officially been booked into matches for PWR Live; KT will be limited to a pre-show Lakas Tama drinking contest, while the Apocalypse hasn't been heard from since his brutal win last May.

Meanwhile, Manalo is set to host a Boot Camp open challenge most likely against a raw recruit from the PWR developmental system. That means it's entirely feasible that #ManaloMania could run wild this Saturday, allowing him to possibly match the existing record for longest winning streak in PWR history at three wins.

Who would have ever imagined we could be living in a world where Mark D. Manalo could actually lay claim to being the hottest wrestler on the scene? This could happen, PWR fans. Don't sleep on MDM.

Dark horse:

The D-Town Fight Machine Chris Panzer is fresh off an impressive win over Ken Warren at Wrevolution X, and got in some serious reps in a tough loss against JDL the show before. The leader of the Panzer Army is running on all cylinders right now, and is lined up against talented but untested SANDATA of Dual Shock in the first round of the PHX Tournament. Look for him to line up consecutive wins for the first time in his young career.

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"The Social Media Sinister" Ken Warren is one cocky mofo who runs his mouth like the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, trolling his opponent throughout his matches and dubbing himself "the Human Trending Topic." But let's face facts, KW. We love you, but the fact of the matter is you're ice-cold.

Ken Warren's win-loss record shows he's in the middle of a three-match losing streak, falling twice to his nemesis Chris Panzer, and getting thoroughly taken to school by Bombay Suarez. The dude hasn't won since PWR Renaissance—a show that happened nearly one whole year ago. Think about that; for all his swagger and posturing, Warren hasn't won a match since "All About That Bass" and "Shake It Off" were duking it out on the MYX charts. It isn't too much of a stretch to say that Ken Warren is a man at a crossroads.

On a raw talent basis, he's easily a top-five performer in PWR. Nobody can touch his natural charisma, and even when he heels things up to the fullest, a tidal wave of "Let's go, Warren!" chants still fills the air at Makati Square Arena. He's the smart wrestling fan's favorite PWR wrestler but he just can't get a win.

Expect one of two things this weekend: We're either seeing Ken Warren at his hungriest, most focused, and desperate against the rugged submission specialist Joey Bax, or we're seeing him with his confidence crumbled to bits, in which case, he'll be tapping out in two minutes like he did to Chris Panzer at WrevoX. Simply put, he'll either be Facebook or Friendster, and considering how his career has been going the last eleven months, the latter is a very real possibility.

We haven't forgotten about Main Maxx yet, despite the pec tear that's had him sidelined the last few months. He's on a three-match losing streak of his own too, but we'll give the big guy a pass, and hope he heals up enough to return to a PWR ring soon.

Dark horse:

Bombay Suarez must still be pissed over his undefeated streak getting snapped last May, and subsequently getting Pearl Harbored by John Sebastian afterwards. He's a man looking for redemption against his cocky foe, but as we approach PWR Live, we've been hearing rumbles of how much Sebastian has improved by leaps and bounds under the wing of the Royal Flush; he's always been a dangerous out, and we're starting to fear that Bombay may just be staring at the first ever losing streak in his career.

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A PWR event just isn't complete without some daredevil stunts, like Mayhem Brannigan's infamous second-story dive onto the Royal Flush, or Main Maxx's Orocan-flavored Van Maxxinator. What huge spots are we looking forward to the most?

SANDATA's aerial assault. The masked lucha-inspired grappler had the spot of the night last time with his spectacular top-rope dive to the outside, and we've got to wonder what secret weapon he's got in store for Chris Panzer at PWR Live.

Chris Panzer's Panzerschreck. We've talked about how this running bicycle kick is the most gorgeous move in Philippine wrestling today, and can't wait to see him bust it out one more time. That kick would make Sheamus blush.

Bryan Leo's PCW. The Painful Classic Wreckage uranage slam that the King of the Royal Flush uses is one vicious-looking move, and was instrumental in ending Mayhem Brannigan's undefeated streak. We can't wait to see him dish out one or twelve to Jake De Leon in their championship rematch.

A super kick fiesta to referee Matt Roxas. Poor guy does an excellent job, but just can't seem to stay away from a certain Senyorito's talented feet.

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What do you think, PWR fans? Will Ken Warren have enough in his tank to end his three-match losing streak? Will Mark D. Manalo actually stake claim to being the hottest wrestler in the local wrestling scene? Leave us your thoughts in the comments, and we'll see you at PWR Live!

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PWR Live will be on August 15, 2015 at the Makati Square Arena. Tickets will be available at the gate for P250, with the gates opening at 6 p.m. For inquiries, check out the official PWR Live Facebook Event Page.All photos are by the fabulous Hub Pacheco.